KMT demands details of Chen's NSB shake-up plan

By Stephanie Low / STAFF REPORTER

The KMT yesterday demanded that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) work out a timetable for his plan to institutionalize the nation's intelligence service and clarify if he has ever spent the "unlawful" secret funds controlled by the National Security Bureau (NSB).

"The scandal, including the disclosure of the NSB's secret accounts, concerns the bureau's evasion of the legislature's supervision. And secret funds beyond the legislature's supervision are unlawful," said Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權), executive director of the KMT's policy committee.

"The legislature supports the government's pragmatic diplomacy, but money intended for the purpose must be spent under proper supervision," Tseng said.

Chen is obliged to give the public an explanation as to whether he has ever spent the funds and whether, as some have speculated, the funds have been used to finance DPP and TSU election campaigns, Tseng said.

The requests were made in reaction to Chen's remarks on Monday, in which he stated that he would probe "any corrupt practices," regardless of whether they are occurring presently or happened in the past.